You are currently viewing our boards as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. In addition, registered members also see less advertisements. Registration is fast, simple, and absolutely free, so please, join our community today!

Yeah, I agree with Eamon. The BBC Kitchen Nightmares was a much, much better show. These American versions are ridiculous. The fact that anyone even watches them baffles me.

Melampus

Post subject: Re: Gordon Ramsey's "Sharpening" Tips

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 6:50 am

Forum Moderator

Joined: Wed May 16, 2012 4:42 pmPosts: 3919Location: USA... mostly.

The consensus here seems to be Mr. Ramsey is a jackass.

I doubt anyone speaking here has ever met the man... only watched the on-air Chef.

Left home - from a violent drunk for a Father - at 16, EARNED a score of Michelin stars, made millions in business, has an attitude for perfection and has no fear to tell you to get the phuck out of his kitchen when you don't belong. Sounds like a passionately talented Chef... not a jackass to me. I've watched escargot shells packed with butter that feel like golf balls whipped at faces when mistakes were made, I've seen dishwashers wing 500 degree iron skillets at cooks for not following dish protocol, I've seen boys & girls cry, I've seen knives thrown, I've seen people freeze in panic attacks unable to breathe, I've seen people wheeled out in stretchers, I've seen beat downs & brawls, but it only made me better... and I wouldn't have changed a thing about it. The masses don't understand Chefs, and with kitchens the way they are nowadays... I almost understand. It used to be Chefs were maniacs, and cooks feared them. Back then, that was the public's consensus, but now they're confused with all these prima donnas in the place of what was. Those that did not fear, excelled. This is not a business for the weak; it's a business for soldiers. The Chefs of yore, would hurt you or have you hurt, mentally and/or physically, if you couldn't swim... and the weak went away. Natural selection in effect. Now when the weak sink, they run to the Proprietor or human resources or better yet the police, and file a complaint that someone hurt me. Kitchens of soldiers are vanishing as the politically correct propaganda mill shoves their bullshiite down the sheeple's throats.

Now too many Chefs play babysitter to clueless culinary school graduates who think they are Chefs but dont know jack, and they have minimal practical skills even as a cook & get buried deeper then they knew a hole could be dug the first time they get weeded... and then again deeper.. and again deeper. Often these Chefs have to deal with trying to keep the career cooks who are getting priced out of the market by illegal immigrants, and too many still have the constant battle with Proprietors who are in restaurants for the bottom line... but not the food. Upper echelon Chefs are intense people and the masses usually don't resonate with their eccentricities regardless of how they manifest...

He's rocked every industry he touched with drive, passion, and a tireless quest for perfection. It seems when anyone produces upper echelon product; sooner or later... the haters always hate about something.

_________________Embracing the silence amid a life and land full of static...

burkecutlery

Post subject: Re: Gordon Ramsey's "Sharpening" Tips

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 3:25 pm

Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 2:55 pmPosts: 473

The stuff I've heard him say on his contest shows makes it pretty apparent that either he's a pretentious lout or he is just more interested in saying what the producer wants than making culinary sense--I.E. he's a showman first.

The amount of crap he gave a woman for putting nutmeg in a ravioli was comical. You'd think she put drain lye in it.

I don't doubt he was a fantastic CHEF, I.E. a manager, boss, entrepreneur, employer. His methods of managing waitstaff are brilliant. But I'd look to Ina Garten for food before Ramsay.

in my experience there aren't a lot of true chefs that actually know how to sharpen properly, not all are proper knife knuts. too busy cooking as they say.

i only love the fact that he's a lefty like myself.

behind the camera he's an awesome person. and he apprently loves to hire my fellow countrymen for his restaurants.

Labor of love

Post subject: Re: Gordon Ramsey's "Sharpening" Tips

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 2:54 pm

Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 4:58 pmPosts: 93

Ive worked in restuarants for over 17 years. Yelling at your employees isnt a sign being a passionate chef. If my chef spoke to me that way i would whip his ass.

Labor of love

Post subject: Re: Gordon Ramsey's "Sharpening" Tips

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:16 pm

Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 4:58 pmPosts: 93

Furthermore i have read a couple of his cookbooks and wasnt impressed. Hes more of an entertainer really than a chef. I havent met a single person in the industry that takes him seriously. he is rich though, but that means nothing to me.

Melampus

Post subject: Re: Gordon Ramsey's "Sharpening" Tips

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:02 pm

Forum Moderator

Joined: Wed May 16, 2012 4:42 pmPosts: 3919Location: USA... mostly.

LABOR <> When someone watches a television (it amazes me people still do), they are for the most part expecting to be entertained. When he is on TV... you nailed it on the head, he is an entertainer.

When he is a Chef... 13 Michelin stars are pretty hard to not take seriously.

And I agree a Chef is not passionate because he yells, but a passionate Chef is a passionate artist. Artists are eccentrics, and eccentricities manifest in many ways. Some Chefs yell, some Chefs don't. Some Chefs drink/drug, some drink green juice all day. Some Chefs are introverts, some are extroverts. Some people need to be yelled at, some people need to be coddled, some people just need to told. When managing - your job is to ensure efficiency, and getting inside your employees heads to affect change has different faces.

Personally, I resonate with loud in your face type A Chefs. I push cooks to their limits, because the only way to surpass your limits are to break them. Some times its a quiet talk in the cooler, sometimes its in a formal meeting, sometimes its berating on the line. Different people need different things. 20 plus years ago, I needed to be yelled at... it was the only way I had any respect for a Chef. Sooner or later you fight, but after the bruises are healed & a whiskey is shared... the respect is palpable. Birds of a feather... you know the rest. You clearly don't like his on-air persona. That's why I haven't watched a television in over two decades.

_________________Embracing the silence amid a life and land full of static...

Labor of love

Post subject: Re: Gordon Ramsey's "Sharpening" Tips

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:26 pm

Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 4:58 pmPosts: 93

im judging him based on his on air persona. why wouldnt i? its how myself and the vast majority of the population know him. the stars are respectable though. e

taz575

Post subject: Re: Gordon Ramsey's "Sharpening" Tips

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2012 4:01 am

Forum Moderator

Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:13 pmPosts: 3031Location: CT

Wait, there was a US Version of Kitchen Nightmares?? Never saw that one; I saw the UK one on Netflix. I was laughing when he got all ticked off (I found some of his comments hilarious), but like others said, they got down to business and the chef/owners either could take it and improve or ignore it and fail.

Every chef has their own personality. Unless we know them off TV, it's hard to judge what is real and what is pumped up for TV. Like was said before, most TV shows are pumped up for entertainment.

Who is online

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum